Naomi Campbell narrowly escaped a jail term after claiming she threw her jewel-encrusted mobile phone at her maid's head 'by accident'.

The 36-year-old model was instead ordered by a New York judge to attend anger management classes and do five days of community service.

In a plea bargain with prosecutors, Miss Campbell admitted third-degree assault charges. She accepted she threw the phone in a fit of rage, but denied she intended it to hit her home help.

Her lawyer added that she is not a violent person but in fact 'nice, generous and charitable and has been helping children all over the world'.

Miss Campbell was arrested in March 2006 after her maid, Ana Scolavino, claimed she threw the phone at her head.

The attack apparently happened after Miss Campbell accused the maid of stealing a pair of jeans she wanted to wear to appear on Oprah Winfrey's TV show.

Police said 42-year-old Mrs Scolavino needed four stitches in her head.

Miss Campbell pleaded guilty to the misdemeanour charge, but told the court the attack was an accident. 'I did assault her,' she said. 'The cell phone hit her head.

'It was an accident and I did not mean for it to hit her. I understand that Ana was hurt and I'm deeply sorry for that.'

In court her lawyer David Breitbart requested that the model do her community service inside, away from the gaze of the public - and media. He said there are fears for her safety because she has received threats and had trouble with stalkers in the past.

He told the court: 'This client is someone who has been ostracised by the press but in fact she happens to be generous and charitable and has been helping children all over the world.'

Outside court, he said: 'This is a nice woman. Just because she may have anger management issues does not change that.'

Miss Campbell was also made to pay £185 in medical costs for Mrs Scolavino. The Streatham-born model initially faced up to seven years jail and the threat of deportation.

Mr Breitbart said he would be pushing for her to do work connected to 9/11 charities, or at a hospital or school when the terms are set in March.

Last year, singer Boy George spent five days sweeping streets in Manhattan as community service - his punishment for reporting a false burglary in 2005.

Miss Campbell has faced a string of allegations of violence in the past nine years. In 2000 she pleaded guilty in a Canadian court to attacking her personal assistant Georgina Galanis and received an absolute discharge.